San Onofre – Unplanned Acidic Solution Discharge From Bermed Area Reaches TB Sump System

The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California. The 84-acre (34 ha) site is in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente, and surrounded by the San Onofre State Park and next to the I-5 Highway.

Jointly owned by SCE, San Diego Gas & Electric, and the city of Riverside, the station is licensed to generate 2,200 megawatts of power

Unit 1 is no longer in service and has been dismantled. It is being used as a storage site for spent fuel. It had a spherical containment of concrete and steel with the smallest wall being 6 feet (1.8 m) thick. This reactor was a first generation Westinghouse pressurized water reactor that operated for 25 years, closing permanently in 1992. Units 2 and 3, Combustion Engineering pressurized water reactors, continue to operate and generate 1,172 MWe and 1,178 MWe respectively.

The July 12, 1982 edition of Time (magazine) states, “The firm Bechtel was further embarrassed in 1977, when it installed a 420-ton nuclear-reactor vessel backwards” at San Onofre.

Power Reactor	Event Number: 47481
Facility: SAN ONOFRE Region: 4 State: CA Unit: [ ] [2] [ ] RX Type: [1] W-3-LP,[2] CE,[3] CE NRC Notified By: CHUCK HAIDAR HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN	Notification Date: 11/28/2011 Notification Time: 12:34 [ET] Event Date: 11/28/2011 Event Time: 06:00 [PST] Last Update Date: 11/28/2011
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 50.72(b)(2)(xi) – OFFSITE NOTIFICATION	Person (Organization): THOMAS FARNHOLTZ (R4DO)

Unit	SCRAM Code	RX CRIT	Initial PWR	Initial RX Mode	Current PWR	Current RX Mode
2	N	Y	100	Power Operation	100	Power Operation

Event Text

OFFSITE NOTIFICATION OF UNPLANNED ACIDIC SOLUTION DISCHARGE”During the regeneration of the Unit 2 full flow condensate polishing demineralizer (FFCPD) resin, 5 percent sulfuric acid briefly overflowed from the bermed area. The majority of the acid went into the floor drains in the FFCPD area and then to the turbine building sump system.”An estimated quantity of 2 gallons of sulfuric acid was released into the storm drains that discharged into the circulating water system. The quantity released was well below the reportable quantity. The fire department and environmental/hazmat team were contacted and responded.”Precautionary notifications were made by SCE to:
– California Emergency Management Agency
– San Diego Dept. of Environmental Health.”

The cause of the leak has been corrected and no additional discharge is anticipated. The licensee will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.

Source: NRC Notifications